Eat polyunsaturated fats. While saturated fat leads to the body's retention of visceral fat, causing abdominal girth and excessive weight gain, studies have shown that a diet high in polyunsaturated fat helps promote the production of muscle mass instead of body fat.[7] Polyunsaturated fats can also help reduce cholesterol levels in the body, lowering the risk of stroke and heart disease.[8] Sources of polyunsaturated fats include:[9]

Jenn Mitchell is a mother and creator of Comeback Momma, a healthy living blog inspiring readers to live happier and healthier lives. After losing over 50 post-baby pounds and rebounding from postpartum depression twice, Jen became a successful blogger and Personal Trainer. When her anxiety and depression returned years later, she struggled to keep the weight off and rebounded 20 pounds. Now, she’s found a healthy balance and is on the right path toward health and happiness and is a true comeback momma! With the help of her blog contributor, Chrissy, a mother, dietician, and triathlete, the Comeback Momma blog is inspiring women to constantly strive to find the best within themselves.

If it’s working for you I wouldn’t worry. I think health problems with low carb are slightly less of a concern in later years simply because there aren’t any hormones around to mess up. 🙂 I would simply be very cognizant of potential changes or symptoms – and if you start to notice weight gain, thyroid symptoms, etc while IF/carb cycling then it might mean it’s time to simply lighten up the IF and add in a few more carbs. you don’t need to eat HIGH carb but some relaxation of your guidelines, or playing with them a little bit, could be called for eventually (or now if you so choose) 🙂
Disclaimer: The techniques and suggestions expressed in this website are intended to be educational only. The author is not recommending medical advice of any kind, nor does she intend for any information on this website or within the products provided to replace medical advice, nor to diagnose, treat, ameliorate, or cure any health issue such as a disease, condition, or illness.
“Most people who have been lean their whole lives have a much better understanding of proper portion size than people who are overweight,” says Deborah Riebe, Ph.D., a professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Rhode Island. “If they go out to eat, they’re much more likely to ask for a doggie bag right away or to leave food on their plate rather than cleaning it up.”
“Most people who have been lean their whole lives have a much better understanding of proper portion size than people who are overweight,” says Deborah Riebe, Ph.D., a professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Rhode Island. “If they go out to eat, they’re much more likely to ask for a doggie bag right away or to leave food on their plate rather than cleaning it up.”
About: Laura is a health coach whose passion to help others overcome addiction and gain a satisfying life comes from her own history: For years she battled addiction (to food, cigarettes and many other things) and was taught to believe that as a woman, she was less valuable than a man. Trapped in her own mind and truly miserable, Laura one day realized that the key to overcoming her addictions was to make deliberate choices for every single thing she did — a mindset that taught her just how valuable she is. Now, she’s an extraordinarily strong-willed champion of women’s health who shares her knowledge and expertise with others. A true inspiration on so many levels.
Arteries (are-te-rease): The blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood away from your heart for delivery to every part of your body. Arteries look like thin tubes or hoses. The walls are made of a tough outer layer, a middle layer of muscle and a smooth inner wall that helps blood flow easily. The muscle layer expands and contracts to help blood move.
Ease into running. You might get discouraged if you attempt a jog without building up that type of strength—and this could put a damper on your motivation. "I started walking, and before long, I was running," says Cipriana Cuevas, who lost 60 pounds and eventually completed a half marathon. "Getting lighter made running easier, and, in turn, more fun."

Hi Adam, I am a 15 year old girl and trying to lose weight. I currently weigh 115 pounds and im trying to get to atleast 100. I tried to use your method and i waited two weeks but heres some bad news i got the same result. So i have a question is there an easier way to lose weight fast and without harming my health. I also would not like to half to go buy some drugs at the drug store. I’m not sure what to do considering i have searched the internet like a million times and found like nothing. So please help me!

Christy is a spokesperson, nutrition and food writer and blogger for Huffington Post and others, a recipe developer and YouTube video producer. She is regularly interviewed by CTV National News, CBC, The Globe and Mail and many more on nutrition and health. She has her finger on the pulse of the latest nutrition and food science and trends, and synthesizes and prioritizes it just for you.
Shelly of the World According to Eggface is remarkable for her 158-lb weight loss, which took her from morbidly obese to healthy and happy. But she's even more inspirational for being so open about something a lot of weight-loss bloggers tiptoe around: her gastric bypass surgery. Check out her A Day in My Pouch post to see what it's like eating after this type of weight-loss surgery.

Thanks for the article. Great read. I have been steadily losing and I am grateful for that. I have noticed however, days of being very tired and days of having great energy. My take was, I am going to listen to my body and rest when it wants to rest, as something is happening that I a not aware of. Your article re-inforced that for me. So Thanks again. I love this WOE, I have no cravings, I am not hungry, I feel great. My Hubby keeps saying, “what is going to happen when you go back to carbs” I keep explaining, when I reach maintenance I will slowly raise, good carbs, maybe some fruits, but I don’t ever plan to eat as I did before. Nothing tastes as good as this feels. Down 20lbs in 4 weeks, with a whole LOT more to go, and looking forward to it. oh and BTW the other thing my man says, is “I can’t believe how much energy you have and how easily you are moving” YAY!!

Almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pistachios — at GH, we're nuts about nuts! People who snack on nuts may have lower abdominal fat than those who munch on carb-based treats, according to a 2015 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Nuts are rich in monounsaturated fats, a heart-healthy (and more satisfying) pick than their grain-based counterparts.
I used the ketogenic diet for several years about 4 years ago. I had various reasons. I have epilepsy, I craved food all the time..even when I was eating “healthy” and the weight wouldn’t budge. I didn’t know as much as I did now and the initial stages were horrible, then boom! Mental clarity and energy kicked in. I became more active and weight loss was no longer an issue. I knew I felt better but didn’t realize just how profound it was until 8 months later. It was Thanksgiving and I still prepared foods my family likes..my pecan pie is greatly anticipated, lol. I decided that..heck..it was my birthday too and I was going to have a slice of that pie! Almost immediately afterwards I felt bad. I tried to read the newspaper and literally could not make out many words and what I did read wasn’t very comprehensive. I later crashed, slept, and waited for the sugar to get burned. That memory has always stuck with me. After a few years, I had health complications due to seizures because of a generic version of my meds wasn’t being absorbed and I had many injuries. 3 surgeries..cervical spinal fusion from 2 blown discs, a rotator cuff repair, and because the more seizures you have, the more you’re apt to have, I had a VNS implant. Needless to say, probably when I needed the diet the most, I started to slip. I relied heavily on the help of others. I still kept eating wheat or sugar to a minimum but my macros were out of whack. I was actually eating too much protein. I suffered bowel issues chronically. :/ Here I am now..I’ve healed a great deal. I didn’t seem to loose a lot of muscle mass but the adipose definitely had put me out of wearing my jeans, I was depressed and unmotivated. About 3 months ago, I found my willpower and stepped back into the gym. I work with a trainer who had designed a macro layout for me to try. It was high protein, modest carbs..and lower even in fat. I didn’t feel terrible on the diet but I knew it wasn’t the best for me. I weightlift and was throwing in a little cardio. I was at 150g protein, 85g carbs, 45g fat. I didn’t have the energy to do the cardio. I suffered very slow muscle recovery after lifting. Every month we check progress but very little was made. In 3 months I had only lost 2lbs but gained .5lbs of muscle but I knew I needed to reassess the plan. I had also started to have carb noticeable cravings which escalated over time. I was feeling worse over time rather than invigorated by exercise. I crashed and said enough! This week I took off from the gym to rework my diet and regimen. I have gone back to the ketogenic way of life. I learned how to minimize the keto flu..electrolytes! And hydration. I’m on day 3. My energy is returning and mental clarity is better. I’ve decided to reduce my workout load..which was fairly intense. I’ve paid attention to ensure my fat intake is higher..I’m still hovering between 30-50 grams of carbs but will tweak it out. I use digestive enzyme supplements, b-vitamins, vitamin c, CQ 10, and electrolytes..to name a few. My medications can deplete certain nutrients,my adrenals are possibly taxed and I am trying to support energy levels. I’m staying active but in a more gentle way until the ground is more level. I think getting back into keto adaptation will be a bit easier as my body has done this before and we have muscle memory. I have a general idea of where I performed best physically with certain carb grams..around 50-60 with intense exercise is fine and I make good progress with plenty of energy. For now, I’m jump starting fat burning though so I’m trying to go even lower. It’s a bit tedious micromanaging macros and calories. I tend to not eat enough and my protein will override. I have no clue how much fat and protein I should generally consume as calories from fat are dense I’ve calculated I will need less fat grams than protein but that doesn’t sound right. Thanks for reading and any tips on those macros are welcome!
About: Emma’s blogging personality is emphasized in her blog name. She’s a health and fitness junkie who uses her own life experiences to inspire others. For Emma, fitness is a release, and she wants it to be the same for her readers. Emma provides multiple recipes, weight loss tips and is an avid believer in “macro-counting,” eating the right kind of calories to maintain a healthy body weight.
About: Healthier key lime pie. Lower-calorie chocolate caramel snickers bars. Lower carb chocolate-filled cookies. If you have a sweet tooth but are trying to lose weight, Kaylie’s blog is for you. Kaylie is a registered dietitian who has a sweet tooth of her own. So, naturally, she figured out recipe swaps for making desserts with lower calories while maintaining all the sweet deliciousness. Talk about having your cake and eating it too.
About: Yes, this is another one with plenty of followers, but it really is the best for one group: mom. Let’s say you are a mom. We’ll bet finding time to exercise and eat healthy seems damn near impossible, yes? Then Brooke’s blog is for you. It’s armed to the tee with quick fitness routines, easy-to-make recipes, heck, even stuff you can do with your baby. And if that’s not enough, you can also use it as a go-to resource to get the skinny on things like baby names, connecting with your loved ones and activities to do with the kiddos.
Before I found you Stef I never knew the weight loss advice I was following from paleo gurus (I won’t name names!) was actually the very thing preventing me from losing weight. Then I found you and it all clicked. Before you my weight loss was up and down and up and down (130-145) for years. Now I am happily stable at around 123lbs, right where I feel I am meant to be.
About: Brand new to the blogging world, Ayla’s story is a familiar one. She started out her journey at about 200 pounds and tried tons of different things to lose weight — pills, dieting, the gym, you name it — none of which seemed to work. Finally, Ayla gave it one last go using Insanity workouts and overhauling her diet, and, what do you know, it worked. Ayla lost 63 pounds, and now dedicates her time and energy to sharing tips and tricks that worked for her with others. Her blog has easy-to-follow, quick-hit guides and ideas for losing weight quickly and effectively.
But here’s a problem that many people experience. They have been told that increasing blood ketones will speed their weight loss. However, rather than cutting back on carbs and avoiding extra protein to boost ketone levels, they are led to believe that they can get the same effects by adding extra MCT oil, coconut oil, or exogenous BOHB to push up blood ketone levels. As noted above, this does not enhance their body’s ability to burn fat. It just gives them a type of fat that has to be burned (some of it as ketones) in place of body fat. No wonder they are usually disappointed when their weight loss stalls well above the goal they want to reach.
Think cooking healthy meals is difficult and time-consuming? Think again. Annie Allen, a postsurgical nurse in Tampa Bay, Florida, let her freezer do half the work for her—and now she's down 52 pounds and runs about 10 races a year. "Frozen vegetables are as nutritious as fresh ones, and in minutes you have half of your meal prepared," she says. These frozen meals are also surprisingly healthy if you don't have time to mix and match one of your own.
About: If the title alone doesn’t draw you in, we don’t know what will. Start with Mariana’s “About the Fluff” section, and by then you’re for sure hooked. Mariana is a Puerto Rican on a journey to get rid of everything that weighs her down, whether that’s extra pounds, distractions from living a healthy life, unhealthy relationships, stress, you name it. Her blog is a day-by-day, step-by-step process that blends humor with reality in a way you’re darn sure going to understand if you’ve ever struggled with weight.
5. Start with one small change. "I realized that a lot of sugar and calories that I consumed came from drinks, so I challenged myself to drink only water—no sugary drinks!—for 30 days. After just one successful week, I decided to add another challenge: to cut back on the carbs I was eating. When I did eat bread, I switched to wheat bread and when I wanted rice, I used brown rice."
Stay motivated. Often times, people lose motivation to stick with a diet or an exercise routine. Finding a reason to stay motivated beyond belly fat goals, like overcoming a genetic predisposition to excess body weight or working toward fitting into your favorite article of clothing again, can help you stay motivated to meet your fitness and lifestyle goals.[40]

Hi. I weigh 220 and am 5’8’’. I’m obviously overweight but I’m not in terrible shape, I play sports twice a week and try to run one or two times a week also. I have a 5K coming up in 2 weeks and I plan to do an event on June 1 where I need to be 210 pounds. I don’t want to stop at 210, I want to be back under 200 again. I don’t think I eat terrible, I eat granola in the morning and lunch during the week and try not to go nuts at nighttime. My vice is beer on the weekends, I am not an alcoholic but I can easily put back a six-pack if I wanted to on a Friday or Saturday night when hanging out with friends. Other than the beer, I only drink water, green tea, and coffee – no sodas or sugary drinks.

Hi Isabella! Don’t be so hard on yourself. I found the main thing for me, is you have to want it. When I was in my 20’s I didn’t care so much, but as I got older (mid 30’s) my mind set changed. I recommend taking it in baby steps. Taking the stairs is the first step, that is perfect. Next time you go somewhere park further away. Need Starbucks? Walk there! Cut up some veggies and keep them near by when your bored. I have to do that or my hands go in the chip bag. I have a hard time because I have a super thin Husband who can eat anything and I can’t. Find some hummus that you like and dip veggies in it, or if your a chip person, buy some snack baggies and portion out your servings. Just take it slow and day by day. You can do it! Be positive and go slow!! Small changes now will be big ones in the future.
Hi Karen! I haven’t dealt with chronic pain and fatigue myself, so my experience is pretty limited in that area. I would encourage you to move however you can without overdoing it. There is a woman who is going through this herself who talk about that here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWiu-u3Liww) and there are all kinds of gentle workouts available. There is a bed workout here (http://www.domorebemore.net/getfit/bed-workout-easy-workout-chronic-pain-fatigue/) and more workout suggestions here (https://www.prevention.com/fitness/fitness-tips/best-workouts-chronic-pain-and-fibromyalgia). I hope that helps!

Unfortunately, despite the expertise of these highly regarded scientists, they systematically mis-calculated the energy needs of the study subjects. As a result, instead of everyone getting an accurately-dosed energy balancing diet, they were under-fed by about 300 Calories per day. Because all of the subjects got the high carb diet for the first month and the ketogenic diet for the second month, the natural effect of restricting energy intake by 10% would have been a small but significant reduction in resting energy expenditure that would have occurred progressively over the 2-month study duration. In other words, by significantly underfeeding the study subjects and always administering the ketogenic diet in the second month, the deck was stacked against the ketogenic diet. Taking this into account, the 2-4% rise in daily energy expenditure in the second month would probably have been double this amount had the study been properly designed. Whatever the true effect, these numbers are fairly small as noted above; but this is a study in which the odds were tipped in favor of the status quo through clever experimental design, and in which the conclusions were not justified by the data.

Over time, most people who sustain a ketogenic lifestyle stop losing weight and find a new stable weight (Hallberg 2018). This is achieved when their natural instincts of hunger and satiety lead to an increase in dietary fat intake to balance out one’s daily expenditure. But as long as dietary protein is kept moderate and carbs low, this dietary fat is used in place of body fat to produce ketones, so clearly nutritional ketosis can be maintained without any further weight loss. We have named this a ‘eucaloric ketogenic diet’ (Phinney 1983).

I used the ketogenic diet for several years about 4 years ago. I had various reasons. I have epilepsy, I craved food all the time..even when I was eating “healthy” and the weight wouldn’t budge. I didn’t know as much as I did now and the initial stages were horrible, then boom! Mental clarity and energy kicked in. I became more active and weight loss was no longer an issue. I knew I felt better but didn’t realize just how profound it was until 8 months later. It was Thanksgiving and I still prepared foods my family likes..my pecan pie is greatly anticipated, lol. I decided that..heck..it was my birthday too and I was going to have a slice of that pie! Almost immediately afterwards I felt bad. I tried to read the newspaper and literally could not make out many words and what I did read wasn’t very comprehensive. I later crashed, slept, and waited for the sugar to get burned. That memory has always stuck with me. After a few years, I had health complications due to seizures because of a generic version of my meds wasn’t being absorbed and I had many injuries. 3 surgeries..cervical spinal fusion from 2 blown discs, a rotator cuff repair, and because the more seizures you have, the more you’re apt to have, I had a VNS implant. Needless to say, probably when I needed the diet the most, I started to slip. I relied heavily on the help of others. I still kept eating wheat or sugar to a minimum but my macros were out of whack. I was actually eating too much protein. I suffered bowel issues chronically. :/ Here I am now..I’ve healed a great deal. I didn’t seem to loose a lot of muscle mass but the adipose definitely had put me out of wearing my jeans, I was depressed and unmotivated. About 3 months ago, I found my willpower and stepped back into the gym. I work with a trainer who had designed a macro layout for me to try. It was high protein, modest carbs..and lower even in fat. I didn’t feel terrible on the diet but I knew it wasn’t the best for me. I weightlift and was throwing in a little cardio. I was at 150g protein, 85g carbs, 45g fat. I didn’t have the energy to do the cardio. I suffered very slow muscle recovery after lifting. Every month we check progress but very little was made. In 3 months I had only lost 2lbs but gained .5lbs of muscle but I knew I needed to reassess the plan. I had also started to have carb noticeable cravings which escalated over time. I was feeling worse over time rather than invigorated by exercise. I crashed and said enough! This week I took off from the gym to rework my diet and regimen. I have gone back to the ketogenic way of life. I learned how to minimize the keto flu..electrolytes! And hydration. I’m on day 3. My energy is returning and mental clarity is better. I’ve decided to reduce my workout load..which was fairly intense. I’ve paid attention to ensure my fat intake is higher..I’m still hovering between 30-50 grams of carbs but will tweak it out. I use digestive enzyme supplements, b-vitamins, vitamin c, CQ 10, and electrolytes..to name a few. My medications can deplete certain nutrients,my adrenals are possibly taxed and I am trying to support energy levels. I’m staying active but in a more gentle way until the ground is more level. I think getting back into keto adaptation will be a bit easier as my body has done this before and we have muscle memory. I have a general idea of where I performed best physically with certain carb grams..around 50-60 with intense exercise is fine and I make good progress with plenty of energy. For now, I’m jump starting fat burning though so I’m trying to go even lower. It’s a bit tedious micromanaging macros and calories. I tend to not eat enough and my protein will override. I have no clue how much fat and protein I should generally consume as calories from fat are dense I’ve calculated I will need less fat grams than protein but that doesn’t sound right. Thanks for reading and any tips on those macros are welcome!

Take a walk through the supermarket, and you’ll be assaulted with aisle after aisle of low-fat and no-fat foods, “healthy” chips and cookies and juices and sodas galore. You likely already know that if you want to lose weight, cutting out processed foods and sweets is the first and most obvious step. But those healthy-sounding options can be just as bad, too.

4. Core exercises – pick up a decently weighted kettlebell (maybe 25-30 lbs depending on your size and strength) and spend even 15 minutes a day doing a quick routine with them. Something like a kettlebell swing, pushups, and mason twists (this is a very common workout for me now). I do 4-6 sets of 25/15/20 of the above. It’s a great little workout and really doesn’t take any longer than 15-20 minutes.
Hi – well after one week I can say I lost 1 kilo – great! … BUT put it back on! Ha! With visitors in town and the spine of a lettuce that’s what can happen. Hey ho and here we go again. Cianna – your achievement is wonderful. If you can keep doing what you’re doing you’re more than likely to adopt a new lifestyle and keep your pounds off. It is wise to adopt a change in lifestyle that can be sustained. Not sure how long Adam would advocate eating black beans!

Fast forward to January of my senior year of college (the beginning of 2016). One day I decided to weigh myself – I never weighed myself throughout high school and college, mostly because I was scared of disappoint but also because I didn’t have access to a scale and didn’t want to buy one. I stepped on the scale, and I was the heaviest I’ve ever been. I felt embarrassed, shameful, and defeated. I knew I needed to finally commit to making a change. I wanted to commit to healthy eating and exercise because I thought weight loss would kickstart my journey to a healthier lifestyle.

What I explained above was how I lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks. I’m continuing to lose week after week at an average of 4-5 pounds per week (I’m sure this will slow down once I get closer to my goal weight). The above method works like a charm and I feel is a great way to lose some extra weight. UPDATE: I’ve since lost over 40 pounds in 90 days and continue to get leaner and leaner.
Roni starting blogging in 2005 as a way to stay accountable on her personal weight-loss journey. Six years later, she still blogs, but her mission is to inspire others and share her ideas to live a lighter, healthier life. Roni does this through openly and honestly chronicling her weight loss, health, and fitness goals. Roni also founded FitBloggin’, a conference to bring new and seasoned health and wellness, fitness, and weight-loss bloggers together for knowledge, personal growth, and networking. It's clear that Roni is committed to living a healthy lifestyle and sharing her passion with others. I'm so glad to know her professionally and personally.
Sable of Squat Like a Lady is a self-described full-time student and part-time powerlifter, but she hasn't always been buff and tough. After suffering from anorexia as a teen, Sable gained 80 pounds. On her journey back to a healthy weight, she fell in love with heavy weight lifting. Now, her focus is no longer about losing weight—check out her post Don't Call Me Skinny! —but on gaining strength.
Trying to lose weight? Having trouble? Women often find it harder than men to shed excess pounds. In part that's because women's bodies have a tendency to "hold on" to a certain amount of fat. But in some cases the problem can be traced directly to certain habits and lifestyle traps - including many that can easily be remedied. Here are 10 weight-loss traps to watch out for:
Skipping meals is actually counter-productive when it comes to losing weight. In fact, you should eat frequent small portions every 3 to 4 hours in a day. You should try and consume at least five meals a day. Eating several small portions will also keep your blood sugar level steady. Most people have this misconception that skipping breakfast is a great way to cut calories. But the fact is, when you skip breakfast, you experience hunger pangs and end up binging during lunch. Certain studies have also observed that people who eat breakfast tend to have lower BMIs.
Jen always has a sugary snack at 10:00 am, Jane loves to eat chocolate at night, they did not realize it but they have a daily pattern and we can use that to our benefit. If you see that you always want something sweet at 10:00 am, have a sweet breakfast like oatmeal, it will curb that craving before you have it and guess what? Pattern broken and extra calories consumed no more.
Hi Ashley! Lol! I love that we could be soul sisters! Both my sister and my brother-in-law are nurses and those nursing hours are just insane…and adding a toddler to the mix makes for a crazy schedule, I’m sure! So for stupid easy but healthy recipes, I highly recommend Once A Month Meals (https://onceamonthmeals.com/?ref=soveryblessed). They have Instant Pot plans and so many of them are just dump and go recipes (and lots of other easy, healthy non-IP meals, too). And honestly? For me, frozen vegetables are a lifesaver. If I’m putting energy into cooking a main dish, I don’t want to put much time into prepping sides too, so my freezer always has a ton of steamer bags of various veggies. Also, one pot/one pan/one skillet meals are awesome. I love throwing potatoes, baby carrots (no chopping necessary), and smoked turkey sausage onto a sheet pan with a little bit of oil and garlic & herb seasoning and roasting it all. The less I have to think, the better! I’m so glad my story could give you a little inspiration. If I can do it, you absolutely can too. Thanks so much for your comment!
“Every morning I drink a cup of warm water with half a lemon squeezed into it, a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, and a dash of cayenne pepper,” says Michelle Keough. This helps her start her day off on a healthy note while getting her hydrated after a long night. This trick, combined with eating meals built around protein and veggies, helped her lose 20 pounds and keep it off.
Katie’s weight has been a challenge her entire life. But after having two boys, she reached an all-time high: 253 pounds. That was when she decided to make a change, but it didn’t happen right away. For the next three years, she dieted and bounced between losing and gaining 50 pounds. Her real weight loss journey began in 2009, when she used calorie counting and running to take off 125 pounds. Today, she writes about maintaining that loss, running, being a mother, and managing a bipolar diagnosis. Visit the blog.